The Duke and Duchess of Sussex would love to be part of the “special family moment” when members of the Royal Family gather on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the King’s coronation, sources have claimed.
Prince Harry, 38, and Meghan Markle, 41, are said to be keen to attend King Charles’ coronation on May 6 – the same day as Prince Archie’s fourth birthday.
Despite explosive allegations about the royal family from the couple in their £100million Netflix documentary and from Prince Harry in his memoir Spare, the Sussexes were invited to the ceremony at Westminster Abbey over the bank holiday weekend.
Although the couple have yet to confirm if they will be attending, it has been reported that they hope to be at the celebrations and would like Prince Archie’s birthday to be recognized in some way later in the day.
Sources also indicated that they would like to be involved in some way when members of the royal family appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the ceremony.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured with Queen Elizabeth on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018 before stepping down as senior royals) are said to be keen to appear on the palace balcony in May after King Charles’ coronation appear as sources claimed
Typically, balcony appearances are reserved for working members of the royal family, but it has been reported that the couple believe they should be part of this “special family moment”.
A source said OK! Talks are underway earlier this month about the Duke and Duchess’ involvement in the coronation, including whether they and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will appear on the balcony.
They said the question was a “sticking point” because non-working royals aren’t showing up, but added, “Harry and Meghan are very keen that they too should be a part of this special family moment.”
The source added the parents of two had asked to stay at Frogmore Cottage, where they had lived before moving to the US, when they returned to the UK for the coronation. They are also said to want their children to spend more time with family members, including Princess Eugenie’s son August, who is a similar age to Lilibet.
Another hope the Sussexes have is that Archie’s fourth birthday will be marked in some way, despite falling on the same day as the coronation.
It’s also believed the Sussexes (pictured at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last year) want Prince Archie’s fourth birthday, which falls on the same day as the coronation, to be recognized in some way
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to the coronation in May but have not yet confirmed if they will attend
The source said: “The Sussexes have requested that some form of celebration or recognition be included in the schedule of the day to ensure his fourth birthday is not lost on this momentous day.”
During Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last June, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex failed to appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for Trooping the Color, which opened the week of celebrations.
Royal author and friend of the Sussexes Omid Scobie claimed at the time that the decision not to take the couple out on the balcony was a mutual one.
In a column for Yahoo! News, he wrote that “both sides” agreed it was best not to show up, although the Sussexes were “interested” in being part of the general celebrations.
Regarding the King’s coronation, a royal insider claimed earlier this year that it was “unlikely” the Sussexes would be invited onto the balcony, according to the Mail on Sunday.
Following the release of Harry’s explosive memoir in January, it was not clear if the Sussexes would even attend the coronation after he made strong allegations against his family.
Claims Harry made in Spare included an incident when Prince William pushed him to the ground during a fight in the grounds of the Windsor Estate, and that he “begged” his father, King Charles, not to marry Queen Consort Camilla , fearing she would become a “wicked stepmother”.
If the Sussexes attend the coronation, as is now expected, it will be the first time their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will see the family since Lilibet, one, in an intimate ceremony and party at the couple’s Villa Montecito was baptized a few weeks ago.
Harry and Meghan invited King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla and the Prince and Princess of Wales to the California ceremony, but they did not attend.
A statement from the Sussexes referred to the 21-month-old as “Princess Lilibet Diana” – revealing for the first time that the couple have decided to assert their right to use “princess” six months after Lilibet joined the throne King Charles last September. Archie is called the prince.
Harry and Meghan are said to not want to deny their children the chance to inherit royal titles from their father – they see it as their birthright – but give Archie and Lili the opportunity to decide whether to drop the royal titles or continue using them , when they are older. Meghan famously told Oprah Winfrey that Archie was not given the title of prince because of his race, but this has been disputed by the palace and constitutional experts.
Lili was baptized by the Anglican Bishop of Los Angeles, John Taylor. Afterwards, guests and family, including Doria Ragland, danced to a playlist of songs from Harry and Meghan’s wedding reception at Windsor Castle. A gospel choir also reportedly performed “Oh Happy Day” and “This Little Light of Mine.”